Location Location Location

A recent article in The Guardian
discussed how graduates could potentially be better off "up North”, and
as I moved from the vibrant city of Bristol back up to Yorkshire eight
months ago I found that as a graduate with six months of experience
behind me that the range of opportunities in the North were vast. With
the amount of universities in the Northern area it is no wonder that the
graduate market is booming with roles that are available to graduate
with minimal working experience.

The article also discussed how
many graduates want a job in our capital and its true, no argument,
there are plenty of graduate roles and the competition is very high
within London. Graduates are not just competing with people who attended
universities within the city itself but also from graduates nationally
and internationally. London is definitely the place to be to make your
mark in the city where the "streets are paved with gold” and an ideal
location for any ambitious graduate looking to have a successful career.

So successful that according to a recent BBC News article the
average graduate should be earning at least £45k basic salary after six
months out of university! What graduates do not realise is that those
type of roles wherever you are in the country are rare, however because
students are fed this line many graduates will simply wait it out until a
role like this floats their way. From speaking to friends who are
currently either looking for work or have found a job in London, the
harsh reality is that London is a eat or be eaten environment for the
new grad and the cities in commutable distance from London are running
low on good graduate roles with many businesses channelling their
resources into the London market.

On the other hand, big
businesses are available here in the North. The Northern powerhouse is
not just the latest government slogan but a reality. This perception is
vastly hindered, however by stereotypical thinking and media
scaremongering which portrays the North as a desolate dreary place full
of people with funny accents. However, after moving from Bristol back to
Yorkshire I secured my position with Sellick Partnership in just two
weeks. Conversely, a friend of mine had one month to bag himself a
trainee accountancy role straight out of university with his Masters in
Mathematics. The amount of roles available to him were extremely high
especially in the finance sector. To me, this proves that the graduate
market is back on track and that the "Northern Powerhouse” is becoming
more attractive to the graduate market.

In terms of quality of
life in London, salaries are high with the average graduate salary at
£27,000 per annum however the cost of living is higher with the price of
rent frequently at £1,500 per room, per month in a flat. £1,500 per
month in the North can get you a very nice 4-5 bedroom house to rent
around the Leeds and Newcastle areas. These relatively low living costs
have allowed my partner and I to buy a house a year after graduating
from university. Although the average salary is lower, what you can get
for your money is vastly increased.

On a personal level I think
there are plenty of opportunities for graduates in any location but it's
the lifestyle of that location that is important. I joined Sellick
Partnership because of the amazing culture and opportunity to grow that
it provided to me which has resulted in a major promotion only six
months into the role. But at the end of the day graduate roles as are
becoming more frequent all over the country with the graduate market
improving year on year. However with competition being so high is it the
job the graduates are after or is it location, location, location?

Do
you think London is still the only viable choice for a graduate or do
you believe the North can now compete with the capital? I'd love to hear
your thoughts in the comments below. Alternatively, please browse our
current roles available in our offices nationwide here.

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